Men’s Tennis Central: Tennessee vs. Kentucky

AUBURN, Ala. – The ninth-ranked and No. 2 seed Tennessee men’s tennis team continues play at the SEC Tournament Saturday, facing No. 3 seed Kentucky at 1 p.m. ET in the semifinals.
 
Tennessee (21-6) holds a nine-match winning streak entering Saturday’s semifinal showdown.
 
Saturday’s action will be streamed live online via SEC Network+ and the ESPN app. Live stats for the match can be accessed here.
 
LAST TIME OUT
The Vols handled Ole Miss, 4-0, Friday afternoon in the quarterfinal round.

SCOUTING KENTUCKY

Tennessee faces off against Kentucky for the 116th time in series history, with the Vols holding a 68-47 all-time advantage over the Wildcats, dating to 1930.

 

Earlier this month, on April 2, Tennessee routed then-fourth-ranked Kentucky in Knoxville, 4-0. A win for the Vols Saturday would put them in the SEC tournament championship match in three of the last four tournaments.

 

The Wildcats swept No. 11 seed Alabama Friday, 4-0, in the quarterfinals.

 

VOLS IN THE RANKINGS

Singles

#2 – Johannus Monday

#32 – Emile Hudd

 

Doubles

#5 – Pat Harper/Johannus Monday 

#46 – Emile Hudd/Shunsuke Mitsui

 

WILDCATS IN THE RANKINGS

Singles

#19 – Liam Draxl

#25 – Alafia Ayeni

#56 – Joshua Lapadat

 

Doubles

#23 – Taha Baadi/Alafia Ayeni

#67 – Joshua Lapadat/JJ Mercer

 

JO MOMENTUM

• Johannus Monday, a two-time ITA Singles All-American, is a combined 34-5 in dual singles and doubles matches this spring. At 17-2 in singles and 17-3 on the doubles courts, 28 of those 34 total victories are at the No. 1 lineup spot (14-2 at No. 1 singles and 14-3 at No. 1 doubles).

• Monday holds the best singles winning percentage (.895) in the SEC this season with a 17-2 record. In his career, he holds a .875 mark (21-3) at No. 1 singles.

 

LIVING IN THE RANKINGS 

• With the ITA’s April 18 update of its singles and doubles rankings, Tennessee has had either a top-10 singles acclaim or a top-10 doubles pair in 23 of the past 24 dual-season rankings updates, dating to March 24, 2021. The Vols not only have each this week, but a pair of top-five rankings with Monday standing at the No. 2 singles ranking and the duo of Monday and Pat Harper coming in at No. 5 in the doubles rankings.

 

DUBS DUBS

• In 27 matches this year, UT has won the doubles point 24 times. In its 93 matches since the start of the 2021 dual season, Tennessee has won the doubles point 73 times for a .785 clip in that…